And fans of the show will have to wait until the tribute is aired to find out the answer to the question. NBC revealed in January that they were planning a Friends reunion of sorts, with Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt saying: “I’m hoping all six will be in the same room at the same time. I’m not sure we can logistically pull it off.”

It seems they couldn’t.

As of now, there are no further plans for an actual revisit to the series, although guest star Dermot Mulroney told Loaded recently that he would be in favour of a return. Mulroney played Rachel’s co-worker Gavin Mitchell during the ninth series in 2002.

The two-hour NBC special A Tribute To James Burrows is set to air on February 21. There are as yet no plans for it to be shown in the UK.

A film of Friends has inevitably long been rumoured, but all six actors have repeatedly denied any claims of it actually becoming a reality. Perry’s play opened on Tuesday and runs until May 14, after which NBC’s full reunion plans may yet come off.

Loaded’s entertainment editor Jennifer O’Brien is an award-winning journalist who has written extensively about popular culture as a national newspaper columnist and author. Follow her on Twitter at @Jen_OBrien1